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Melvin: Everybody has green light to steal

Melvin: Everybody has green light to steal

BOSTON -- Several firsts were made on Tuesday night, including Jarrod Parker's first win and Jordan Norberto's first save. Lost in the hoopla was Kila Ka'aihue's first career stolen base.

"That surprised me," a smiling Bob Melvin said Wednesday. "I was watching him and thought, 'Man, he looks a little different right now, like he's got something on his mind,' and as soon as I was thinking that, there he goes."

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Ka'aihue was one of four A's players to steal third base in the game, with one coming in to score. According to Elias, the only other team to have a quartet accomplish that feat was the Expos in 1988.

Melvin said it was simply a matter of opportunity and noted that all of his players have the green light, a method that's been in place since Spring Training. The results are there, as the A's entered Wednesday with a Major League-leading 25 stolen bases.

"To this point, we've been pretty good about not overdoing it," Melvin said. "Obviously [Ka'aihue] was feeling it. Everybody has the green light, but the red light can go on very quickly. It's not like we expect everyone to run, but it's about working backward instead of forward. I think it lends a little more of being aware of what's going on, knowing you have the opportunity to do it."